A Simple Touch

Summary: A boy who's heart was broken, and left to die. Only to be saved by a shred of light within the dark. The new light may be special, but what will happen if it were to cross paths with its counterpart?

A New Born Heart

* Time period at the moment is slightly before Birth by sleep.

Ventus' Point-of-view

"I remember that day… when he just tossed me away like trash…unwanted…useless…and had no intention to live any longer in his eyes…"

After the condition I'm in, I'm beginning to lose faith that I can withstand my existence any longer….my body was growing colder, vision was hazy, muscles were weak, everything was brutally falling apart right before my teary blue eyes…

Darkness…..everything that was surrounding me…was darkness…

It felt like there was no end, as I fell lifelessly, deeper… into the pit of the unknown abyss…

Within every moment…I felt like my life was slowly slipping away.

The only item that I had for sweet comfort was a soft silky white blanket. It was wrapped around my beaten body. The blanket was the only thing I had that was giving me comfort and most importantly warmth; I had it gripped tightly within my fingertips…I didn't want to lose it, like I had with everything else.

If only….if only if there was way I could have a second chance… a chance to peel away this tortures memory and start fresh; to start a new beginning leaving the rotten, bitterness and suffering I had in my life.

The old man I looked up to as my respected Master, was no more than a heartless brute…he never cared about me really…he only used me for his own gain and experimental research…that's why he left me here to die…when it came for me to not be of any use to him anymore…

As I continue to steadily drift deeper into the darkness, I then started to notice that my blanket was slowly evaporating from my grasp.

The comfort and its sweet warmth were leaving me…my eyes slightly widen in horror as I was seeing this dreadful sight happening….

After a few seconds, I then suddenly stopped falling and began to float instead, so with whatever strength I had left, I used it to pick myself up into a sitting position.

Everything around me still felt quiet and empty, but as I then looked down beneath my feet, I saw a white platform appearing right before my eyes. I slowly straighten out my legs and within a second, I was floating down to the platform's hard, cold surface; landing safely on it.

"What…what is this?" I faintly whispered out to the air; fixed on the unknown sight I was standing on. "Could…could this be my heart?" I then kneeled down reaching out my hand, touching the surface of the platform with my fingers. As I moved my fingers across the surface, a crack started to emerge, I was puzzled, I didn't know what to do; I couldn't help, but stare blankly.

From here, the situation only got worse, as I got back up, I noticed more cracks were emerging and the noises of it breaking apart were being heard. I didn't do anything, except watch the pieces shatter right before my blank lifeless eyes. "My heart is fractured…pretty soon there will be nothing left."

As I was beginning to lose faith completely while seeing the pieces fall, I suddenly started to hear a faint noise from nowhere; I didn't really know where it was coming from. I turned from side to side, but didn't see anything, that is until I finally looked up from above.

What was shining below me, coming down was a small orb of light. I don't really understand why, but for some reason, in the sight of seeing it, it really brought out a warm pleasant smile on my face. "Who are you?" I managed to say. "I'm a newly born heart," a small voice said within the small light. I was truly convinced to what it said since the voice sounded so young and innocent, like a child; a sweet innocent child. But then something popped in my head that really puzzled me in that moment.

"But…then what are you doing here? This is my heart," I said questionably, wanting an answer. "I honestly don't know," the light moved closer to me, "I was lost and from out of nowhere, a small light was shining ahead of me, so I followed it and ended up here, meeting you." I then slightly looked down at my broken platform and chuckled a little. He's just so innocent, I couldn't help, but give a small weak laugh; it was cute. "Yeah…that was my light, but sadly now, my heart has been fractured," my smile quickly faded. "And whatever I have left…is slowly slipping away."

"Well, what if I can help?" I heard him say; though it was completely unexpected for me, I didn't know if he really said it, or if I was dreaming at the moment, "Huh?" I couldn't help, but say. After a few seconds, I then examined the platform again, and noticed the pieces that broke off were replaced with new ones; the platform was reconstructed as a whole. "There, now nothing will leave your grasp again, I gave you a piece of my light to replace the pieces you have already lost, we are now connected," the voice said in a happy tone.

"I see," because of the selfless act, I started to feel a change within my body; I was no longer feeling cold or weak, I was beginning to slowly revive back to the way I was before. "And within time of healing, you'll be strong enough to win back the pieces you previously lost," I then extended out my hands and the orb hovered in my two palms. Even though I wasn't really showing it, I was truly happy and grateful for what this child did for me, he gave me a second chance, if we ever happen to meet again, but face to face, I'll surely have to find a way to repay him for the gift he had given me. But for now, the only gratitude I could give at the moment were only to say two simple, yet meaningful words, "Thank you," I whispered smiling, holding the light dearly in my hands; since we were now connected, I could feel the warmth and purity of this child's heart; Saying thank you, doesn't even show enough how truly grateful I am for what he has done….one day….hopefully… we'll meet again.

Vanitas' Point-of-view

"I remember that day…when I finally gained an existence of my own; even though the face wasn't truly mine. It just represented the connection the two shared…"

I'm all alone in this empty wasteland…nothing great in this place is really worth talking about, but if I had to say something, this world is basically a graveyard.

Nothing really to see except old, rusted, abandoned keys thrust inside the ground; from every angle I would turn, that is all I would basically see.

I walked aimlessly in the field of abandon keys…thinking….remembering the moment when I was born into this world.

The first thing that came to mind in thinking about my birth…was Ventus. I find it oddly funny, since I don't really care much for anything, but when I was first separated from him and saw how broken he was…I couldn't help but feel sad and had pity for him; though at the time I didn't really show it.

Master said to me there was no hope for his return, so he ended up taking him to a place where he could die peacefully….I think the place he said was called…Destiny Islands. I kind of wanted to go with him to see my other weak half die off, but he told me to stay here, and wanted to do it alone; at first I was somewhat upset since Ventus is me,(to put it in more simpler terms), but I got over it quickly and let my Master be.

After all, Ventus was my old weak self; why would I care about a broken shell that is going to be dumped, taken by the tides of the ocean. So, I better not even waste my breath with him. It's best that I just continue with the new life I had already obtained for myself.

Since he's about to die, I'm no longer him in a sense, I don't really have his face, or any face of that matter…I'm just a piece that broke off…I'm nothing, but darkness. Even though I say I have a new life, I don't really have an existence to call my own in this world since I'm faceless; I'm just a shadow with red eyes.

Master brought me to this world, but as I walked deeper into the pathway, the same burning question keeps ringing in my head, "What was his intention into creating me? What purpose do I have in this new life?" "What is my purpose?" This question alone still kept pounding in my head, I wanted to know why, but I know I would have to figure it out myself since I know the Master won't tell me straight-forward.

As I continued to walk, I started to feel a little uneasy. "Something…something isn't right," I said under my breath; I then completely stopped in my tracks and slowly put my hand over my chest. For some unknown reason, I felt my heart beat was starting to race in a fast pace. "What's…what's going on?" I then turned my attention up above and saw that the clouds were blocking out the sun; everything around me was becoming strangely dark. After a few seconds, mysteriously, wind was starting to pick up as well; it started to blow hard against me.

The sudden weather change was really strange, what is going on?

My heart was racing in a rapid pace; it was to the point where I started to have trouble breathing. I was clinging onto my chest, while I then finally collapsed to my knees on the ground. It felt like if someone was squeezing or suffocating me; I tried to fight through this unexpected pain, but the way things were going, I felt like I was at the peak of passing out.

I wasn't truly aware of it, but while I was down to my knees, a light was swirling around my body. What was happening? This question kept repeating over and over while I was feeling the excruciating pain. And just when I thought I was going to black out, I started to hear faint voices in the back of my head.

"Yeah…that was my light, but sadly now, my heart has been fractured and whatever I have left…is slowly slipping away."No doubt in my mind that the voice belonged to Ventus, it was the other voice I was questionable about, "Well, what if I can help?" I heard the voice say to him. After that, I couldn't hear them anymore; their voices disappeared, out of my reach.

*Eventually Vanitas then passed out...

It took me time…but I finally remembered where I was and what happened to me. As I slowly woken up, I found that I was lying on the ground; I guess after hearing their voices I finally passed out. It must have been quite a number on me since as I was getting up; I saw my helmet was on the ground. I no longer felt the pain earlier, though I still felt a little drowsy, "Myhead…," I muttered, putting my hand on top of it.

Though as I did, something wasn't right, being a shadow of darkness, I'm not really suppose to feel anything, yet as I touched my head, I was feeling something soft through my finger tips. The more I moved my hand around, the more I was beginning to think it was hair that was on my head. This was really strange…

I then turned my attention to my faceless exterior and slowly put my hands over it. Again, it was strange. I was feeling something smooth and it was giving off warmth; it was skin…actual human flesh. I was extremely confused; I don't remember my existence ever being like this. I then turned my attention to my helmet on the ground; it's the closes thing I got to a mirror due to its dark glass, so I pick it up and faced it towards me. As I did, my eyes widen in shock.

At first as I looked through the glass, the person I saw in the reflection looked like a total stranger to me; I wasn't completely convinced that this person was me. But after a while of slowly taking it in, I accepted it. I finally had a face, I'm actually a real person; I'm not a shadow anymore; through the reflection of the helmet, the appearance that I have now resembled a teenage boy just like Ven. I had slightly pale skin, my eyes were yellowish color instead of red, and my hair was black. So…this is my new self.

But something still didn't click in my head as I was getting back on my feet. I sense that Ventus is still alive; his light hadn't gone out like Master said it would. I then looked at my new face again, that voice….that person I heard earlier…could he be the one who prevented Ven from fading? He must have, what other logical explanation can I come up with, whoever this person is that saved Ven, must have something really special. He probably did more unknowingly, I then touched the warmth of my cheek…this person gave me a face. "Who…is this person?"

It won't hurt to meet him, but if I ever do, I wonder what will come out of it between us, Will I thank him for saving Ven and giving me a face, or will I do the opposite, and abhor the fact that he saved something completely worthless to me.

Lacey Schmidt:
The Trouble with Super is that you can't stop reading it. Mr. Barrett's characters are all to easy to relate to even if you don't have a super quirk of your own, and their plight is both heart-rendingly funny and heart-warmingly sad at the same time. It's a bit like Office Space meets the Matri...

mrh:
I love this story soooo much! This is such an incredible twist on Harry Potter's story. I have loved every word of it. I hope you will write more soon! I want to know what happens next sooo bad! Please write more!

Jade Jez:
What a wonderful, immersive book from Eliott McKay. It starts with an air of mystery, introducing main character Michaela, the clumsy teenager. From there, it whisks you off your feet and dumps you into a beautifully written world where you can almost smell and hear everything happening. I go...

Schaelz:
I was intrigued from the second I started reading, and it kept my interest the whole way through. Chelsea has a way with words that will enchant you until the very end. She is very poetic with the way she mixes genres and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The main character is also very relat...

europeanlove:
I gotta hand it to you. I love reading. I read books everyday. When the book is good I can read it in probably 13 hours. Your story was amazing. Great prose, very imaginative. Incredible dialogue. I am deeply impressed. Keep it up.

Barbara Ponder:
This book is aimed at teenagers, however the style and content caught my attention and it is a long time since I was a teenager. Intriguing and enlightening novel I hope there will be a sequel soon.

Nate_L:
This story is amazing. The style, the description, it all drags you in. The characters are mostly the well known characters from King Arthur. There's Merlin, the sword: Excalibur. I recommend reading this through, at least a little, as it's a very satisfying read. I added it to my reading list af...

Steve Lang:
I thought this story was imaginative, and well thought out. I also think it was an original piece, and not a rehash of previous scifi stories I've read in the past.Thank you for the effort put into this tale, and I look forward to reading more of your work!

ga1984:
I really enjoyed it! Characters were deep and plot was pretty complex. A bit on the violent side but it doesnt detract from the story. Very dark but situations make sense. Ends kinda abruptly and later chapters will need some editing work. I'm assuming there's more in the works?

Alex Rushmer:
This was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it a lot Malfoy was always one of the characters that I liked a lot, so I like that a lot of this happens between him and Colette. I read the first couple chapters, and I enjoyed your writing style and am excited to see where you take this story. My com...

PurpleInkling:
Hippocrite is spelt hypocrite.Also it is an awesome story! A good one after so long. I was hoping someone would write a good fanficiton playing off what Ron said at the station. You are doing a remarkable job. It would have been interesting if Albus had also ended up in Ravenclaw though that mig...